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An old American favourite: creamy, minty and chocolaty.
Serves 10–12
FOR THE BISCUIT BASE
250g (9oz) chocolate-flavoured biscuits or double-chocolate cookies
175g (6oz) unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
180g (6½oz) large white marshmallows
180ml (6½fl oz) whole milk
¼ tsp peppermint essence
⅛ tsp green food colouring (such as Dr Oetker)
700ml (1 pint 4fl oz) double cream
Chocolate shavings, to decorate (optional)
One 23cm (9in) diameter
pie dish or loose-bottomed
tart tin
1. In a food processor with the blade attachment, blitz the chocolate biscuits into a fine crumb. Alternatively, place in a plastic bag, seal the bag shut and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl and add the melted butter, mixing until all the crumbs are coated and can be squeezed together.
2. Tip the crumb mixture into the pie dish or tart tin, pressing it into the base and sides, then place in the fridge and leave for 30–40 minutes to set completely.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the marshmallows in the milk. Remove from the heat, then add the peppermint essence and food colouring and stir into the marshmallow mixture until it is evenly green in colour. Set aside to cool for 10–15 minutes.
4. Pour 300ml (10½fl oz) of the cream into a bowl and whip into soft peaks either by hand or using a hand-held electric whisk, then fold into the marshmallow mixture. Pour the filling into the chilled biscuit base and leave in the fridge for 1–2 hours to set completely.
5. Once set, whip the remaining cream and spoon on to the top of the pie. You can also sprinkle with chocolate shavings if you wish.
RHUBARB AND ALMOND LOAF
Tangy rhubarb moistens the sponge in this easy-to-make loaf. We love to eat this with a nice cup of milky tea.
Serves 8–10
FOR THE STEWED RHUBARB
4–5 stalks of rhubarb, chopped into 2cm (¾in) pieces
70g (2½oz) caster sugar
20g (¾oz) unsalted butter
FOR THE SPONGE
190g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
140g (5oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
190g (7oz) caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
25ml (1fl oz) whole milk
100g (3½oz) stewed rhubarb
15g (½oz) flaked almonds
One 8.5 x 17.5cm (3½ x 7in)
loaf tin with 7.5cm (3in) sides
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, then grease the loaf tin with butter and dust with flour.
2. Place the rhubarb in a saucepan along with the sugar, butter and 50ml (1¾fl oz) of water. Cook on a medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb softens, then remove the pan from the hob and set aside to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on a medium speed after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed in properly.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, cinnamon and ginger, then add half of this mixture to the creamed butter and eggs, followed by half the milk. Mix well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining dry ingredients and then the rest of the milk.
5. Stir in the stewed rhubarb, making sure it is evenly mixed into the batter, then pour into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle the flaked almonds on the top.
6. Bake in the oven for 50–60 minutes. When cooked, the sponge should be firm to the touch or a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean of any uncooked batter. Allow the loaf to cool for a while in the tin before turning it out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
BREAKFAST BRAN MUFFINS
An excuse to eat cake for breakfast! You can substitute other dried fruits instead of the raisins or sultanas in these muffins, which are best eaten when fresh.
Makes 10–12 muffins
180g (6½oz) wholemeal flour
50g (1¾oz) rolled oats
50g (1¾oz) All-Bran
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
20g (¾oz) raisins or sultanas
20g (¾oz) sunflower seeds
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
⅛ tsp salt
120g (4oz) soft light brown sugar
250ml (9fl oz) whole milk
2 eggs
85g (3oz) unsalted butter, melted
One 12-hole deep muffin tin
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line the tin with muffin cases.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer, mix together the flour, oats, All-Bran, orange zest, raisins or sultanas, sunflower seeds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar. Pour the milk into a jug, add the eggs and mix together by hand.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk and egg mixture while mixing on a low speed using a hand-held electric whisk or the freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment. When all the ingredients have come together, increase the speed to medium and mix in the melted butter.
4. Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling them two-thirds full, and bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until golden brown in colour and springy to the touch. Leave in the tin for a few minutes after removing from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool down fully.
CRANBERRY MAGIC BARS
We find that cranberry works best with white chocolate; however, you may also wish to add milk or plain chocolate chips, depending on your taste.
Makes 10–12 bars
FOR THE BASE
150g (5½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
40g (1½oz) icing sugar
120g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
FOR THE TOPPING
100g (3½oz) white chocolate chips
100g (3½oz) dried cranberries
150ml (5½fl oz) unsweetened condensed milk
50g (1¾oz) desiccated coconut
50g (1¾oz) pecan halves
One 22 x 31cm (9 x 12½in)
baking tray
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line the baking tray with baking parchment.
2. In a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, set on a low speed, or rubbing together by hand, mix together the flour, icing sugar and butter until a dough forms.
3. Using floury fingers, press the dough into the prepared baking tray, making a slight lip around the edge to stop the filling from pouring over the edges of the base during cooking. Place in the oven and bake the base for approximately 20 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown and the middle is pale but cooked.
4. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the topping, then spread evenly over the prepared base. Place back in the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the topping is set and golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool before carefully slicing into 10–12 slices.
MIXED BERRY MUFFINS
This variation on a classic recipe uses blueberries and raspberries, but you can use other similar berries. Don’t worry if most of your berries sink to the bottom of the muffins during cooking, that’s perfectly normal.
Makes 10–12 muffins
300g (10½oz) plain flour
155g (5½oz) caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
250ml (9fl oz) whole milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
85g (3oz) unsalted butter, melted 50g (1¾oz) fresh or frozen (and defrosted) blueberries
50g (1¾oz) fresh or frozen (and defrosted) raspberries
